New to Importing pews - what happens next

[Barny]

Hi,
This is my 1st time importing a pew at all and from Action Airsoft (proact) as you can see from the dates below its all gone quite well so far. Previous parts orders with them have been no issue and quite speedy so i thought i'd try my luck with a BB thrower
Lots of emails keeping me updated and the pew is now in UK customs. Today is day two of uk customs, it appears to have been logged in 9.30 ish yesterday.
What i'm wondering now if anyone can tell me what happens next. As in, will they call me or will they email any requests for details or further payments. My Ukara is valid, although its being delivered to my work address not home hoping that wont bugger things up
I can't get to my phone due to work so periodically check it through the day, I've everything crossed hoping that it will just slip through in the next few days but I'm not lucky in life at all...

9/7/26 Pre-Order placed
24/7/26 Order paid
28/7/26 Order Shipped
3/8/26 In uk Customs

 

[Galvatron]

My Ukara is valid, although its being delivered to my work address not home hoping that wont bugger things up

Click to shrink...

Unfortunately, there is a distinct risk of that buggering things up. Your UKARA defence is tied to your postcode/home address so a mismatch between your UKARA's registered postcode and the destination postcode on the shipping label can arouse suspicion and cause delays.

If your phone number is on the shipping label, they may do you the courtesy of contacting you and asking for you for further information and to verify you are who you claim to be but if there's a really busy day or if staff are just in a bad mood, there is a chance they may impound the RIF. If it's a rifle you've ordered or something with a larger box, I'd imagine they will investigate more thoroughly.

 

[Austeyr]

Customs is usually... slow. They have to log it, make up the fee they want to charge you on the spot, send that fee to you, then you have to pay that fee and the fee for them sending you the first fee... and then it'll be released to you!

As for address I've had RIFs sent to my work address instead of the address stated on my UKARA and not had any issues but you may experience otherwise. Saying that, I've never actually been questioned for my UKARA either when importing and it's been handled by Royal Mail/ParcelForce

 

[Tommikka]

Hi,
This is my 1st time importing a pew at all and from Action Airsoft (proact) as you can see from the dates below its all gone quite well so far. Previous parts orders with them have been no issue and quite speedy so i thought i'd try my luck with a BB thrower
Lots of emails keeping me updated and the pew is now in UK customs. Today is day two of uk customs, it appears to have been logged in 9.30 ish yesterday.
What i'm wondering now if anyone can tell me what happens next. As in, will they call me or will they email any requests for details or further payments. My Ukara is valid, although its being delivered to my work address not home hoping that wont bugger things up
I can't get to my phone due to work so periodically check it through the day, I've everything crossed hoping that it will just slip through in the next few days but I'm not lucky in life at all...

9/7/26 Pre-Order placed
24/7/26 Order paid
28/7/26 Order Shipped
3/8/26 In uk Customs

View attachment 41767

Click to shrink...

It can sometimes be quick and at other times take forever

You will have two things to deal with:

1) It’s a UK legal import, you would need to complete a VCRA declaration form. (Potentially incorporating a firearms declaration)

2) Pay customs / import charges - expect to be charged 20% of the value, plus a carrier handling fee

They will contact you in a few possible ways, depending on the information they have on you
(The sender should already have made an export declaration which should be stuck on the outside, your package may or may not get opened)
If very lucky you get a phone call or text, next best is an email, otherwise a letter eventually turns up with the paperwork

(Beware of fake spam links)

The declaration form can vary between carriers, and question wording will vary, but cover the following key points:

If applicable say no to questions about firearms
Say yes to “is it a RIF/IF”
Say yes to having a VCRA defence, and give details of your VCRA* (they may or may not check the details, but if they do then your address won’t match so you should cover something about that such as your home address matching VCRA* registration details and that you have ordered for delivery to an alternative day time address (work) with permission in order to avoid delivery difficulties
(((You may manage to work around any issues on that by arranging to collect at a depot to pay charges and show your ID etc

((( * I actually meant to type “UKARA” in those two places, but even though it’s the most common, is recognised and applies to this thread it isn’t the only skirmisher defence so technically I was right in repeating VCRA for the defence so I’ll leave them ))))


Next once you have passed the hurdle of being allowed to import then it goes to wait on the next desk to calculate charges (if you’re very lucky it happens in one go)
They check the declared export / import value, they may look inside for the invoice for dodgy declarations and can also disregard all declarations and calculate a UK market value
To predict the cost take the total sale value (including postage) and work out 20%
(There should not be import duty, but import VAT instead)
Then you would expect to be charged that 20% plus another fee …. Just guess for around £30, but fee structures vary between fixed prices and valuation percentages

Once VCRA checks have cleared and the fees are paid your package is released. You can pay online, by phone or in person at a collection point (depending on carrier)

 

[novioman]

Now I know why I don’t import RIF’s anymore

 

[Barny]

It can sometimes be quick and at other times take forever

You will have two things to deal with:

1) It’s a UK legal import, you would need to complete a VCRA declaration form. (Potentially incorporating a firearms declaration)

2) Pay customs / import charges - expect to be charged 20% of the value, plus a carrier handling fee

They will contact you in a few possible ways, depending on the information they have on you
(The sender should already have made an export declaration which should be stuck on the outside, your package may or may not get opened)
If very lucky you get a phone call or text, next best is an email, otherwise a letter eventually turns up with the paperwork

(Beware of fake spam links)

The declaration form can vary between carriers, and question wording will vary, but cover the following key points:

If applicable say no to questions about firearms
Say yes to “is it a RIF/IF”
Say yes to having a VCRA defence, and give details of your VCRA (they may or may not check the details, but if they do then your address won’t match so you should cover something about that such as your home address matching VCRA registration details and that you have ordered for delivery to an alternative day time address (work) with permission in order to avoid delivery difficulties
(((You may manage to work around any issues on that by arranging to collect at a depot to pay charges and show your ID etc

Next once you have passed the hurdle of being allowed to import then it goes to wait on the next desk to calculate charges (if you’re very lucky it happens in one go)
They check the declared export / import value, they may look inside for the invoice for dodgy declarations and can also disregard all declarations and calculate a UK market value
To predict the cost take the total sale value (including postage) and work out 20%
(There should not be import duty, but import VAT instead)
Then you would expect to be charged that 20% plus another fee …. Just guess for around £30, but fee structures vary between fixed prices and valuation percentages

Once VCRA checks have cleared and the fees are paid your package is released. You can pay online, by phone or in person at a collection point (depending on carrier)

Click to shrink...

Ok thats make sense, will see how it goes over the next days/weeks lol - thanks for the informative reply!

 

[Tommikka]

My last import was a few years back, not a RIF so just import VAT & handling



$294.70 declared value from the USA

(MI was keen on timing as I wanted it for an event, so was calling the help desk to check the progress. During my calls to the help desk there was a valuation & fee, but not “released to charge” and then a lower revaluation
My main worry when the final charge was made was that they would release from the regional depot and pass it on to my local office, the help desk weren’t sure that it wouldn’t pass on - in which case the timing would mean that I missed it, with luck and perhaps the help desk putting a comment into the system I was able to go into the regional depot on my way to the event to pay & collect



They settled on charging based on £228.50 which will probably have been the conversion rate of the time plus postage

Import VAT £45.70. (20% of £228.50)
Parcel force £12 fee